Improvement in hoop-skirts



Pfmzed vaga/555 WSJ-7309 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LAVINIA H. FOY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN Hoop-SKIRTS.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, I IAVINIA H. FOY, of the city and county ofWorcester, and Gommon- Wealth of Massachusetts, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Hoop- Skirts; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification, in which- Figure l represents a side view of a hoopskirtwith my improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2 represents, upon an enlargedscale, a section on line A B, Fig. l, when glazed cloth is used, incombination with the tapes and hoops, without the interpositiou of stiilpaper. Fig. 3 represents a similar section when stiff paper is used, andFig. 4 represents a crosssection ot' one of the hoops when magnified.

To enable those skilled in the art to which my invention belongs to makeand use the same, I will describe it.

In the drawings, A represents' the baud or belt; B, the hoops, and O thetapes which support the hoops.

Much annoyance and difficulty is experienced by the wearer ofhoop-skirts as now constructed in consequence of the frequent turningover of the bottom hoops. I remedy this objection by applying a piece orstrip of glazed cloth, D, upon each side of the hoops, and then placebetween the pieces of glazed cloth pieces of stift' paper, a, or someother suitable substance, to stiffen the glazed cloth, so as to preventthe bottom hoops from turning over readily without destroying theirproper elasticity.

In ordinary cases it will be sufficient to stiften the cloth betweenfour of the bottom hoops. The glazed cloth may be made stiff enough toanswer the purpose without the use of stiff paper or other stiimaterial, and the tapes might be manufactured so that the lower endswould be stii enough to accomplish the same object. Bristles might bewoven into the bottoms of the tapes for the same purpose.

As the bottom hoops and their supports are liable to get soiled, muchtime and money have been spent in trying to remedy the difficulty,

but without success. I have accomplished this object by the use ofglazed cloth, as shown in the drawings, in combination with the use ofhoops covered with fibrous material, as usual, and then painted orcovered with some material not soluble in water.

In Fig. 4 a cross-section of a hoop thus made is shown magnified. Brepresents the metal hoop; b, the brous material, and c the paint orother insoluble'coating referred to above.

A hoop thus made does not soil as quick as those in common use,whilethey can be easily washed so as to look as well as when new. Thesame is true of the glazed cloth D.

If preferred, the tapes G may be dispensed with below. Where the glazedcloth is used, the latter being made to answer the purpose ot' a supportfor the hoops.

Having described myimprovements in hoopskirts, what I claim therein asnew and of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- Yl. The glazed-cloth supports for the bottom hoops, in combination with'noops painted or covered with some insoluble coating, as and for thepurpose stated.

2. The combination, with the bot-tom hoops ot' a hoop-skirt, ofglazed-cloth supports or coverings and strips of stiff paper or othersuitable material, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with the bottom hoops of a hoop-skirt, of stiienedsupports, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

LAVINIA H. FOY.

Witnesses Trios. H. DODGE, D. L. MlLLER.

